– Rick Pitino spending some time this summer with his other athletes

Our basketball coach Rick Pitino has been out west doing some scouting the past couple of weeks. He’s been checking out some pretty fast athletes on this trip. But not the ones with 2 legs. These athletes have 4.

That’s right this scouting trip had nothing to do with hoops. Pitino has four horses with trainer Doug O’Neill, including three 2-year-old colts, giving Pitino his first presence as an owner on the West Coast after having horses in Kentucky and on the East Coast for years.

Doug O’Neill is the trainer that had  Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes victories earlier this year with I’ll Have Another. O’Neill was introduced to Pitino by a former Louisville soccer player Jack Sisterson who is an assistant to O’Neill.

Pitino watched all of his horese train last Wednesday. Among those horses was Russdiculous. Last night Coach P spent some time in the winners circle at Del Mar Racecourse. His horse Koco Loca won the first race.

Among the partnership for the West Coast horses is Lou Lamoriello the chief executive officer, president, and general manager of the New Jersey Devils. He was the athletic director at  Providence that gave Rick his first job.

Good to see Ricky P out getting some time away from basketball. I want him to be well rested. He’s got some 2 legged thoroughbreds to coach this winter. And hopefully the Louisville Cardinals will be in the Winners Circle at the Final Four in Atlanta.